British police have charged a 25-year-old man with the manslaughter of 39 people after their bodies were discovered inside a refrigerated truck on Wednesday.
Maurice Robinson, of Laurel Drive, Craigavon, Northern Ireland, was arrested shortly after the discovery was made at the Waterglade Retail Park in Grays, Essex, east of London. He is due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on Monday.
Earlier, police in Ireland arrested a fifth suspect in connection with the case, as their British counterparts sought help from the Vietnamese community in trying to identify the victims.
The latest arrest made at Dublin's port follows those of four individuals who were earlier taken into custody in the UK, including Robinson. The other three were held on Friday on suspicion of manslaughter and conspiracy to smuggle people.
British law enforcement agencies are continuing to work on the task of establishing identities of the dead.
The police initially believed that the victims were from China, but it now appears that at least some of the victims were from Vietnam.
Detective Chief Inspector Martin Pasmore from Essex police said on Saturday that they could not rule out the presence of other nationalities among the dead, but said his officers had received most contact from Vietnamese people concerned about friends and relatives.
"Establishing identities of the deceased will take time," he added.
British law enforcement agencies are now grappling with one of the worst cases of human trafficking in the country. (Credit: AP)
Vietnam orders probe
A total of 24 families have reported to Vietnamese authorities that their family members may be missing in the UK amid fears that they are among the 39 people found dead.
Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered an investigation into the case, according to Vietnamese media VnExpress.
He assigned the country's ministry of public security to investigate, and uncover, cases of Vietnamese citizens leaving illegally and reporting them before November 5, 2019, said the report.
The prime minister also asked the Vietnamese embassy in the UK to closely monitor the situation and coordinate with the British side to confirm the victims' identities.
The Vietnamese Embassy in the UK has already contacted British police and expressed its willingness to fully cooperate in determining the identity of the victims, local media reported on Sunday.
Among the 14 Vietnamese families, nine are from central Ha Tinh province while others from Nghe An province.
Ha Tinh Provincial Department of Foreign Affairs said it is contacting the districts and related units to verify the information.
Vietnamese police took hair and blood samples to get DNA from relatives of people feared to be among the 39 who died in the incident, Reuters reported on Sunday.
Earlier, police in Ha Tinh Province in northern Vietnam received at least three reports of missing people following the Essex truck case.
Eight women and 31 men were found dead inside a refrigerated container lorry in Essex, England. At least six victims could be from Vietnam, BBC reported.
All of the dead will undergo a coroner's examination to establish the cause of death.
The Vietnamese authorities are working closely with the UK in the investigation, according to reports.
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